There are three main ways to clean your iPhone speakers. You could use a soft-bristle toothbrush to scrub the speaker. You could use canned air to blow debris out of the speaker’s nooks and crannies. Finally, you could use adhesive tape to remove the gunk trapped in or around the speaker. If you’re having trouble getting the speaker to play, clean the headphone port, too.

Steps

Method1

Trying Simple Cleaning Methods

1

Scrub the speakers. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the speaker ports. This gentle motion should clean grime and gunk off the speakers.[1]

You could dip the very tips of the toothbrush bristles in rubbing alcohol for added effect. Don’t dip the whole brush in.[2]

2

Use painter’s tape. Painter’s tape is a blue tape used when painting walls. It has a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which makes it perfect for cleaning iPhone speakers.[3]

Tear a short piece off and roll it into a cylinder with the sticky side facing out. The cylinder should have a diameter about the width of your index finger.

The tape should pick up all the grime and bits that have accumulated in the speakers.

Check the surface of the tape after each application. If you see lint and grime stuck to it, remove and discard the used tape, roll another small cylinder, and repeat.

3

Blow debris out of the speaker. Use compressed air to blow lint and dust out of your speakers. Compressed air is canned oxygen, and is often used to clean computers and electronics. To get started, lay your phone flat with the screen down.[4]

Read the directions on the can before using it. Always use canned air as directed.

Aim the canned air nozzle at the speaker from whatever distance the can’s directions suggest.

Squeeze the can’s handle briefly, then release.

Method2

Cleaning the Headphone Jack

1

Connect your headphones. If you can hear sound from your headphones after resetting the phone, there might be debris in the headphone port. This debris might be sending a false signal to the phone that the headphones are plugged in, thus preventing sound from playing from the speakers. Disconnect your headphones from your iPhone prior to cleaning the headphone port.[5]

2

Use a cotton swab. Remove the cotton from one end of the cotton swab by pinching one end with your thumb and forefinger, then pulling your hands apart to remove the balled cotton. Once removed, discard the cotton. Pinch the same end again, loosely this time. Roll the cotton swab along its axis to spool some of the loose cotton upon itself. Put the cotton swab in the headphone jack. Gently guide the narrow end of the cotton swab into the headphone jack. Turn the cotton swab around a few times, then remove it.

Scrubbing the headphone jack with a cotton swab it the easiest and most common way to clean the headphone port.

Do not dampen the end of the cotton swab with water or rubbing alcohol. This could damage your iPhone.

3

Use compressed air. Lay the phone on a flat surface. Place the phone in such a position that its headphone port faces you. Aim the canned air nozzle at the headphone port from the distance recommended by the canned air’s directions label. Squeeze briefly, then release the handle.[7]

Canned oxygen is a common tool used to clean PC parts, and you should be able to buy some at your local computer or electronics shop.

Method3

Exploring Other Speaker Fixes

If, after adjusting the Ringer And Alerts slider, you can hear sound from the speaker, check the Ring/Silent switch on the side of your device. If the switch is in a position that reveals a small orange dot, the device is set to silent. Move the switch in the opposite direction in order to turn the ringer back on.

2

Restart your iPhone. If you’ve tested your speaker settings and they haven’t improved your speakers’ operation, you can restart your iPhone using a preset sequence of buttons. Restarting the iPhone causes it to turn off and then turn back on again. To restart your iPhone, hold down the sleep and home buttons until the Apple logo comes up.[9]

Test the sound after you’ve restarted the phone.

3

Remove the case. If your iPhone is in a case, it’s possible that the case could be muffling or restricting the speakers from making sound. Take the case off your phone and attempt to play music or a sound.[10]

If, in the process of updating, your phone asks to temporarily remove apps, just click Continue. Later, your apps will be reinstalled.

You might be asked to provide your passcode. Enter your passcode if prompted.

Before you update, make a backup of your phone by connecting to a Wi-Fi network, the clicking Settings, then iCloud. Next, tap Backup and turn iCloud Backup on if it isn’t already. Finally, tap Back Up Now.

To check that your backup is finished, go to Settings, then iCloud, then Storage, then Manage Storage, and select your phone. You should be able to see your backup file with the time you created it and the size of the file.[12]

5

Contact Apple. Visit an Apple store to talk to Apple technicians who can help. If you don’t have any Apple stores nearby, go online to Apple’s support website at the address https://support.apple.com/contact. To get started, click “Set up a repair,” then click “iPhone.”[13]

Next, select “Repairs and Physical Damage” and click the option “Unable to hear through receiver or speakers.”

At the next screen, click “Built-in speaker.”

At this point, you can select a range of options, including chat, schedule a call, and send in for repair. Choose the option that works best for you.

6

Restore your iPhone. If Apple cannot help you, they might recommend the nuclear option – a total phone restoration. Restoring your iPhone will wipe your contacts, calendars, photos, and other saved data. However, your text messages, call history, notes, sound settings, and certain other customizable phone options should be saved to the cloud.[14]

To restore your iPhone, connect your phone to your computer using the cord that it came bundled with. Open iTunes on your computer.

Enter your passcode or click Trust This Computer, if prompted.

Select your phone when it appears in iTunes. In the summary panel, click Restore [your device]. Click again to confirm your decision.

Before beginning the restoration process, you could make a backup of the information in the same way you did before updating your iOS.

To clean iPhone speakers, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush any grime off the speaker ports. For a deeper clean, dip the very tips of the bristles in rubbing alcohol. Alternatively, tear a short piece of painter’s tape off, and roll it into a cylinder with the sticky side facing out. Then, slip the tape over your finger and press it onto your speaker to pick up debris. You can also blow lint and dust out of the speaker with compressed air. Additionally, use compressed air to clean out the headphone jack. To learn how to use a cotton swab to clean the headphone jack, keep reading!

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This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Together, they cited information from 14 references.